The "Party Faithful" can chime in with the usual [b]"But she is much better than ([color=red]fill in the blank here with your favorite ultra-left Democrat opponent du'jour[/color])"[/b] but the bottom line is that when the issue is really important and the hand is called she always folds and shows her bluff. Do a little research on her "Assault Weapon" claims. She knows better ([b]I KNOW SHE KNOWS BETTER[/b]) but some of her "reasoning" sounded like it came from sweet Sarah Brady directly. Watching her do what was easy and politically correct, rather than take the time to educate her constituency to the lies of the left and stand up for the truth was the last straw for me. I can't wait until we get someone with a backbone in her Senate seat. I have said time and time again that if the Dems were smart enough to run someone like Michaud against her in the past she would be long gone. Instead she is put up against lefty whackjobs like Tom Andrews, Chellie Pingree, etc and easily coasts to victory.

Good Job GOA! The truth sometimes hurts, but damn it, it is still the truth.

Now that I've gotten the sarcasm out of my system [hopefully] let me offer this: The ban was not a ban on "assault rifles". The ban was on semi-automatic rifles cosmetically enhanced to [b]look like[/b] assault rifles, so it should more properly be called an "imitation assault rifle ban". Absolute pandering for political reasons with no effect on safety whatsoever. [b]And[/b] she knew it because people had taken the time to educate her. [b]And[/b], if memory serves me, those same people were given assurances that she wouldn't vote for the ban.

[quote="Bruce Libby"]I know I am going to be sorry but will someone tell me why anyone needs an assault rifle?[/quote]
No offense intended, but if I intend to use it in a lawful manner and I'm not threatening you and your's, it's none of your business.

Just about anybody can buy, own or sell an assault rifle. You can own an M-60 machine gun or a Civil War era Gatling gun. There is no ban on ownership or use. There is a ban on the importation of them. All of the weapons here can be bought or sold. Some cities are excepted.

In Maine we used to have a Hiram Maxim Memrorial Machine Gun Shoot which thoroughly freaked out newly arrived citizens from Connecticut and such places. Can you picture a young liberal lady from CT in her back yard on the Hiram Maxim weekend when all those machine guns open up at once? Her whole personal view of the universe would be unalterably changed in that one moment and her cup of green tea would cover her from head to foot. There would be permanent dents in her phone from dialing 911.

It's called freedom and it gladdens the cockles of my pea pickin heart.

Roger, I've never owned a machine gun, but I attended almost every Hiram Maxim shoot that was held. For a few years, watching all those great folks exercise their Second Ammendment rights was one of the highlights of my summer.

Semi-automatic pistols with detachable magazines and two or more of the following:

Magazine that attaches outside the pistol grip
Threaded barrel to attach barrel extender, flash suppressor, handgrip, or silencer
Barrel shroud that can be used as a hand-hold
Unloaded weight of 50 oz or more
A semi-automatic version of an automatic firearm
The stated inspirations for this section were the Uzi and Intratec TEC-9, both of which were featured in high-profile multiple-murder crimes.

Classification of assault weapons has proven extremely difficult since there is no basic functional difference between the types of firearms targeted for these bans and many very common hunting and target-shooting firearms. Any semi-automatic firearm that accepts a detachable magazine can discharge as rapidly as any other based on the same action. This led those who supported regulation to target the appearance of these weapons rather than their function.
-----

Banning certain "types" of firearms because they're "scary" is just part of the incrementalist anti-gun agenda. Next, they'll tell you "Who really needs a Semi-automatic?" and "Who really needs a handgun?" Keep the gun-banning commies the hell away from my firearms!

More people should keep track of how their representatives in Washington vote. They often vote one way on amendments to a bill and then the other way on the final bill and vice versa. They often sneak things into a bill that has nothing to do with the original bill and then claim they DID NOT KNOW. The longer these people are in Washington, the bigger liars and the further from the people they get. They get to believe the American people are stupid, and in many cases they are right as the people keep reelecting them year after year. Snowe is a good case in point.
Bud

Dan , nice attempt to muddy waters but no one seems to hyperventilate when "big screen TV's"
are mentioned!

I can tell what an assault rifle is! It is just like the one fired at me for a considerable amount
of time in a far away place. It is just like the ones used in gang warfare in the inner cities and other palces.

Ok , it is constitutional and all that and it is freedom etc. etc. someone expalin why they are needed.
If it is a thrill thing OK , if it is a macho thing Ok, just explain it to me if it is a envy thing explain it!
All the constitutional things are covered by a 22 cal. rifle in a closet etc.. The rest of it is something else!
Ok , I'll go to defending a home , God, motherhood and apple pie, shotgun with double OO buskshot,
the rest is something else. Just curious have no desire to deprive anyone of anything just wondering.
As an aside how many respondents have used a firearm to take another life any context?

Ok , it is constitutional and all that and it is freedom etc. etc. someone expalin why they are needed.[/quote]Why is any handgun needed? Is the only reason to own anything need? More children are drowned in swimming pools than shot by assult weapons, should pools be outlawed based on need?

[quote]All the constitutional things are covered by a 22 cal. rifle in a closet etc.. [/quote]Shoot a buffalo with one of those and you are apt to get him po'ed.

[quote="Bruce Libby"] I can tell what an assault rifle is! It is just like the one fired at me for a considerable amount of time in a far away place. It is just like the ones used in gang warfare in the inner cities and other palces.[/quote]

Oh good lawd. [b]Where do I start[/b]?

[i]First, this isn't even the truth[/i]. The guns constantly being bantered about as "Assault Weapons" ARE NOT military firearms at all as you have indicated. They are guns that "[i]look like[/i]" military firearms but are identical in action and function to every semiautomatic hunting rifle that your grandpa ever owned. 1 pull of the trigger, 1 shot fired. The whole issue is the mastermind of Josh Sugarrmann from the Violence Policy Center because he knew that most people couldnâ€™t tell the difference between machine guns and firearms that shared cosmetic features with them. (You just proved him exactly right). He knew people would get all bent out of shape in a knee-jerk reactionary fashion (as you have) and wouldn't bother to research any facts (as you didn't). That Josh is a pretty cleaver guy, huh? :wink: Anyway I have written and have had published tens of thousands of words on this subject alone and don't have the time to get into it all again right now. I recently penned a piece on this same subject for "[i]All Maine Matters[/i]" called "The Great Assault Weapon Illusion" that is available on-line if you want to follow this link: [url=http://allmainematters.com/smallAMM-02-2006.pdf]The Great Assault Weapon Illusion - [i]All Maine Matters[/i][/url]

And for the "gang warfare in the inner cities comment" I think you have been watching a few too many movies. Our finest in the big cities are more often up against cheap, concealable handguns than they are expensive, unwieldy, long guns with military style cosmetic features.

[quote="Bruce Libby"]Ok , I'll go to defending a home , God, motherhood and apple pie, shotgun with double OO buskshot,
the rest is something else. [/quote]
Bruce, if a shotgun is your choice, fine. Maybe other folks are more comfortable with something else. The net result is ultimately the same, is it not?

A few years ago when I was running a State Championship Shoot we had several peopel from New Brunswick scheduled to attend as they had done for years. This was after 911 and they were stopped at the border and not allowed to bring their competitive guns into the US.

I contacted all 4 of our Washington senators and representatives. Only one was of help, Mike Michaud's office found the problem, made the necessary paperwork available and solved the problem. Snowe and Collins did nothing. What wusses!

Please excuse , but I don't see any knee jerk reaction on my part I asked a question
that is all . You can have anything you want I was just curious. I hadn't heard of the person
you mentioned as I had no need to research this issue. Actually I'll take your word on this guy
and it appears he was quite good from what you offered. Maybe he should have come to help with
a ongoing campaign ,that's another thread.

It appears to me the reaction you assigned to me is more evident in your responce.
If it is no different than grandpas old whatever then why the need ? Granting what you said as
factual which I am sure it is, then why?

To all others , I am glad CW can shoot deer , that is a much needed skill in the capitol.

The need is cause they are fun and easy to shoot, can be used for: hunting, hang on my wall, take them apart and clean them, use them as an expensive door stop, etc and generally enjoy the ownership of said weapon. Much like any weapon that I own or would like to won.

[quote]
WRONG! Assault weapons are semi-automatic. The guns fired at you were likely fully automatic.[/quote]

Oy yoy yoy... :(

Where to start.... by definition, the "Sturmgehwer" used by the Nazis in WW-II was the first litteral "Assault Weapon", and that's essentially what the German name for it translates out to.

The Sturmghewer was a "select fire" weapon, meaning that by manipulating a control lever on the action, the Soldier could operate it in a "semi-automatic" mode whereby each time the trigger was pulled one shot would fire, and the action would cycle, ejecting the empty casing from the chamber, re-cock the striker mechanism, then return to battery stipping a fresh round out of the magazine (to be distingushed from a "clip") and chambering it, after which the weapon would be ready to fire the next round until the ammunition in the magazine was expended, whereupon the empty magazine could be detached and a loaded one inserted in it's place.

By selecting the "full auto" mode, the Soldier could, by depressing the trigger and holding it back, fire a rapid - around 800 rounds per minute - burst. This "machine gun" mode would continue until the shooter let up on the trigger or the magazine was emptied, or the weapon jammed - as they do occasionally.

Accurate fire with one of these compact weapons in full auto mode is nearly impossible, but a lot of lead can be sprayed in the general direction of an enemy when engaging a multitude of them at fairly close range.

By paying a fairly steep tax and obtaining a Federal license, a Citizen can leagally own an "assault weapon", machine gun, or submachine gun. Most AK-47 lookalikes in this country however have been altered or built to only fire in the semi-auto mode, so they are no longer truly "assault weapons" even though they may look essentially identical to one.

Generally, a "machine gun" is a fairly large, heavy weapon often served by a crew of at least two men, and it takes a high powered, long range rifle or special machine gun round - like the .50 caliber Browning. It is meant to be emplaced in a stable position to lay down covering or supressing fire on enemy positions or to repel mass attacks. It is intended to be used in the full auto mode, although some machine guns are extremely accurate and have been used for long range sniping to good effect.

A submachine gun is a small, light weapon usually chambered for a pistol round, intended for close quarters combat.

The "Assault weapon" uses an "intermediate" round, more powerful than a pistol round yet not as heavy as the "battle rifle" or machine gun ammo. The original Strumghewer used a shortened version of the German 8mm Mauser round, and the Russians followed suit with a .30 caliber or 7.62mm version, known as the 7.62 X 39mm (the 39mm designating the length of the casing). This is the round most commonly used in the AK-47 assault rifle and it's semi-auto "clones". The Russian semi-auto SKS "Siminov" rifle accepts this round as well, although it is generally considerd to be militarily obsolete, and has been for decades. Surplus SKSs can be had at very reasonable prices these days.

The old Russian battle round that the Russian military has used from 1891 to this very day was the venerable 7.62 X 54R; same caliber but longer case with more powder and power.
The "R" stands for the RIM protruding around the base of the cartridge case that keeps the round from sliding too far into the chamber.

I'm sure that BigShooter will correct any errors I've made here, as he knows more about this than I do - but I don't think I'm too far off.

Before we get into any debates about "assault weapons", we really ought to know what we're talking about.

[quote="Bruce Libby"]If it is no different than grandpas old whatever then why the need ? Granting what you said as
factual which I am sure it is, then why?[/quote]

I am sorry Mr. Libby but I do not live in a "needful society", I live in the United States. I do not need to express a "need" for a Corvette, A Harley Davidson, a deck of cards, a bottle of Crown Royal or the firearm of my choice. As long as I do not abuse or endanger anyone else with whatever it is I choose to own, it is of no ones business what I feel I "need" or "want", or for what reasons.

The firearms you seem concerned about do not even exist [i]as previously explained[/i]. They are being used as a pawn and "stepping stone" to chip away at our freedom, [i]also as previously explained[/i]. A Remington 742 has much more potential for abuse than an SKS but because it doesn't "look scary" those who run the propaganda campaigns know the general public would not go for banning them. It is a little tactic called divide and conquer and it is extremely effective.

Thank you Bigshooter , as you see , I conceeded points to you and your
knowledge of subject which I do respect . I have no interest in depriving you of anything.
I just have this curiousity about issues and how people respond to them etc..

When they come to get me I know I will at times have a diffulcult time telling the players
however I will be in my bunker anyway. I am sorry for causing any anxiety by my question.